The power of zeal
by Setrus
Summary: Why fight a dragon that has done you nothing? Why risk your own life and that of your companions to fight a monster that could swallow you whole? Hinted Leliana/Cousland


Leliana was barely aware of the chant escaping her lips as she fired arrow after arrow towards her target.

"Many are those that wander in sin..."

Around them the cliffs of the Frostback mountains rose high above them, funnelling them into a snow covered canyon that in the far distance led to another part of the ruins they had fought their way through. The air was crisp and fresh, biting into her cheeks even as she took deep breaths of it, hoping it would somehow bring her greater focus.

The dragon was impossible to miss really, but to actually hurt it with her shots required to hit it beneath the scales, to aim for the gaps created when it moved. Perhaps it was the desperation forcing it, or perhaps she had simply gotten better, but Leliana was surprised by the amount of wounding hits she had managed, leaving tiny needles of wood sticking out of the massive creature.

Not that it seemed to care, Leliana felt her desperation mount even as she watched through the legs of the dragon, legs thicker than any tree Leliana had ever seen, how Thomas Cousland dodged its snapping jaws with a mere breath's distance. How the former noble could move like that with such heavy armour was beyond her understanding, but she could do nothing but give thanks for the Maker for it.

"...despairing that they are lost forever..."

Next to her Morrigan stood, the witch muttering something under her breath as she shot bolts of lightning, ice and...Leliana wasn't even sure _what_ some of it was...at the creature. Despite the great flashes and powerful impacts they did upon the creature, enough to actually make it grip at the ground tighter with those cruel claws of it, it ignored the attacks, solely focused on the little darting man before it.

Why were they even fighting this creature?

"...but the one who repents, who has faith..."Thomas jumped over the thick tail sweeping towards him, the heavily armoured warrior lashing at the appendage. "...unshaken by the darkness of the world..." The dragon reared back all of a sudden, a roar escaping it before it came back, mouth wide as it breathed a thick wall of fire over-

_No_!

The fire died out almost instantly, leaving scorched ground, still smoking from where the snow had boiled away. Thomas was still there though, crouched on one knee with his shield raised, the normally glittering surface burnt black. Silently he rose, undeterred by the flaming attack. Maker... "...and boasts not, nor gloats..."He charged the beast once more, swinging blade drawing a trickle of blood from its leg.

Thomas had sounded the horn to summon the dragon without giving any explanation, leaving them all scrambling. It was so...unlike him.

Further off Wynne raised her staff, a shout in some strange language escaping her, a moment later Thomas was bathing in light, as if the Maker himself had suddenly descended upon him. Leliana had seen it so many times...yet it never got old. It was beautiful...how could anyone doubt His words when one saw this? "..over the misfortunes of the weak, but takes delight..." The dragon looked away from the bright light, giving the warrior the opportunity to cut one of its claws off in an explosion of dark blood. "...in the Maker's law and creations, she shall know..."

The creature hesitated but for a moment, then roared out in pain and recoiled, eyes almost glowing as it stared down upon the tiny man before it that was kicking aside its shorn claw, shield raised in readiness. "...the peace of the Maker's benediction."

With a speed that would baffle a tranquil the beast shot forward...and caught Thomas within its jaws, making Leliana pause as the world turned cold. The dragon almost seemed to grin as it reared back, raising Thomas high in the air as it begun to bite down, teeth loudly pushing through armour and flesh as the knight desperately struck at it again and again with his free arm.

_Still alive..._

"The Light shall lead her safely..." Leliana fired a flurry of arrows at the creature's head, one of them lodging itself in the creature's eyebrow and another right under its jaw, the others simply bouncing off thick hide or whizzing past the creature's face.

The creature opened its mouth, dropping the warrior into the snow as it turned its head away from the annoying pinpricks. "...through the paths of this world, and into the next." Leliana swallowed, watching with growing worry how Thomas struggled to rise, his arms visibly trembling as he begun to push himself unto his feet.

A moment later the light of healing magic was around him, making Leliana give thanks for Wynne's presence. Still, as long as he wasn't on his feet the dragon could simply crush him with its own weight. Morrigan seemed to echo her thoughts as she blasted the creature's hind legs with a blast of lighting, making it stumble sideways and away from the recovering warden. "For she who trusts in the Maker, fire is her water."

He was up, his armour was covered in holes and slick with dark blood, but he was up...and not backing down. With a roar he rushed between the legs of the dragon and hacked at its knees, making the creature take a step back and crane its neck as it tried to locate the relentless pest. "As the moth sees light and goes toward flame..." Leliana's shot found its mark, lodging an arrow right in the corner of the creature's eye.

With a snort it turned, evil eye fixed upon Leliana, freezing her mid-movement, smoke poured from its nostrils as it's eye narrowed in rage. _Maker..._

With a roar that made the world shake the dragon whirled around, sweeping tail knocking Wynne over, then it came at her and Morrigan, its maw open and growing at alarming rate as it rushed at them, making the ground tremble with each step. Next to her Morrigan cursed, her blast of cold making the creature stumble, but not slow. _Maker...it's huge!_

Leliana managed to fire an arrow, it disappeared within the gaping maw of the creature, but did nothing to slow it down. _Oh...so this is it? _"...she should see fire and go towards Light."

Then _he_ came, as if launched by the hand of the Maker himself the knight landed upon the creature's neck, sweeping sword digging a deep wound right beneath one of its horns. It stumbled to the left, missed the two women and instead crashed right into some ruins, smashing them asunder under its weight. Leliana just stared, her lips moving outside of her control: "The Veil holds no uncertainty for her..."

The dragon begun to rise, mouth opening in a growl. Thomas didn't relent though, still on its neck he thrust his sword into its eye. The growl turned into a roar of pain as blood exploded from the wound, turning the snow beneath it black with it. Stumbling the dragon tossed its head left and right, its movement jerky and desperate, but it couldn't dislodge the warrior atop it. "...and she will know no fear of death, for the Maker..."

Tossing his shield aside he grabbed his sword with both hands and struck down upon it. Again and again Thomas' sword came down upon the dragon's skull, the sound of the impacts echoing across the canyon. Pieces of scales flew off it along with dark blood that was now pouring from the beast's skull, covering its huge head as it jerked under the impacts, no longer trying to get up.

Then he stopped.

No sound escaped the knight as he turned his sword over, his movement was slow and calm, almost solemn. Holding the weapon tightly in his reversed grip he raised it above his head...

With a crack he thrust the weapon down, burying it into the creature's brain. It twitched, then turned still.

And silence descended upon the battered companions.

Still sitting atop its back Thomas took off his helmet. His face was covered in sweat, but the expression was calm as he looked down at the dead dragon, the look he had when he knew he'd done the right thing, and then he explained calling down the monster in one sentence: "You are _not_ Andraste."

Leliana couldn't help but smile as she finished the chant: "...shall be her beacon and her shield, her foundation and her sword."


End file.
